1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to poured concrete walls and, more particularly, to an insulated form assembly for a poured concrete wall.
2. Description of the Related Art
Conventional concrete wall construction is well known in the art of building a structure. For example, in a house, basement walls may be constructed of poured concrete. To build a poured concrete wall, a temporary form is prepared in the desired shape of the wall. In the past, the form was made from plywood or metal. Recently, the forms have been made from other materials, including foamed plastic. The form is usually constructed at the site of the structure.
The form is maintained in an upright position during the construction process using extensive bracing. For example, 2xc3x974 studs may be used as braces. After the form is in prepared, concrete is poured into the form and allowed to harden. The form is then removed from the hardened concrete wall.
Another example of a wall for a structure is an insulated concrete wall. In an insulated concrete wall, the wall is made from a combination of an insulating material and concrete. The insulating material is a permanent form, which becomes an integral part of the wall. Usually, the form is made from an insulating material, such as a dense plastic foam. The wall may be constructed from a plurality of plastic forms at the construction site. Similar to a poured concrete wall, extensive bracing is used to maintain the wall in the desired position. The resulting insulated concrete wall has the strength of a poured concrete wall with the additional advantage of thermal and acoustical insulation, an air and vapor barrier, and exterior wall sheathing. The disadvantage of such an insulating concrete wall is that it requires a significant period of time to build the wall, and extensive bracing to maintain the upright position of the wall, until the concrete has hardened. Therefore, there is a need in the art for an insulated form assembly for a poured concrete wall that can be preassembled, and held in position until the concrete hardens, with minimal bracing.
It is, therefore, one object of the present invention to provide a new and improved insulated form assembly for a poured concrete wall.
It is another object of the present invention to provide an insulated form assembly for a poured concrete wall that can be preassembled.
It is yet another object of the present invention to provide an insulated form assembly for a poured concrete wall that requires minimal bracing.
To achieve the foregoing objects, the present invention is an insulated form assembly for a poured concrete wall. The insulated form assembly includes a plurality of insulated forms, a cap fittingly retained on opposed edges of the insulated forms and a band circumscribing the insulated forms and the caps to pre-assemble the assembly.
One advantage of the present invention is that an insulated form assembly is provided for constructing an insulated poured concrete wall that offers improved strength, thermal and acoustical insulation and an air and vapor barrier. Another advantage of the present invention is that the insulated form assembly can be preassembled off-site, transported to the construction site, and put into place for the desired structure with minimal manpower and equipment. Still another object of the present invention is that the use of a removable bracket minimizes the amount of bracing necessary to hold the wall upright before the concrete is poured into the form.
Other objects, features and advantages of the present invention will be readily appreciated as the same becomes better understood after reading the subsequent description when considered in connection with the accompanying drawings.